DIODE APPLICATIONS

(WAVE SHAPING CIRCUITS)

Seigfred Prado, ECE, M. Sc. ELEG

CLIPPERS

⚫ They are diode waveshaping circuits that

are used to select the part of an arbitrary
waveform which lies above or below some
reference level.
⚫ The output of clipping circuits appears as if a
portion of the input signal was clipped off.
⚫ They are also called as voltage or current
amplitude selectors, slicers or limiters.

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

SERIES CLIPPERS
⚫ The output (load) is in series with the diode.
⚫ Vo is measured across the load.

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

SERIES CLIPPERS

POSITIVE SERIES CLIPPER

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

SERIES CLIPPERS

NEGATIVE SERIES CLIPPER

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

PARALLEL CLIPPERS
⚫ The output is taken in parallel with the diode.
⚫ Vo is also measured across the diode.

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

PARALLEL CLIPPERS

POSITIVE PARALLEL CLIPPER

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

PARALLEL CLIPPERS

NEGATIVE PARALLEL CLIPPER

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

BIASED CLIPPERS

⚫ The level to which an ac voltage is limited can

be adjusted by adding a bias voltage in series
with the diode.
❑ Biased Series Clipper

❑ Biased Parallel Clipper

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

BIASED CLIPPERS

⚫ Rules:
❑ If the diode is in series with the applied voltage,
cutting line is zero.
❑ If the diode is in parallel with the applied
voltage, cutting line is the bias voltage.
❑ If the diode is pointing to the right or upward, all
waveforms above cutting line remains.
❑ If the diode is pointing to the left or downward,
all waveforms below cutting line remains.

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

BIASED SERIES CLIPPERS

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

BIASED SERIES CLIPPERS

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

BIASED PARALLEL CLIPPERS

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

BIASED PARALLEL CLIPPERS

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

DOUBLE DIODE PARTIAL LIMITER

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

ASSIGNMENT (CLIPPERS)

Analyze the effect of

the bias voltage on the
diode and plot the Vin
vs Vout curve for the
following series clipper
circuits.

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

ASSIGNMENT (CLIPPERS)

Analyze the effect of

the bias voltage on the
diode and plot the Vin
vs Vout curve for the
following parallel
clipper circuits.

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

SUMMARY OF CLIPPER CIRCUITS

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

SUMMARY OF CLIPPER CIRCUITS

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

CLAMPING CIRCUITS (CLAMPERS)

⚫ Also called “DC Restorers”

⚫ They are circuits used to “clamp” the
waveform to a different DC level.
⚫ They have a minimum requirement of three
elements: a diode, a capacitor, and a
resistor.
⚫ The capacitor present in the clamping circuit
changes the dc level of the input signal.

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

CLAMPING CIRCUITS (CLAMPERS)

⚫ Parameters related to a capacitor :

⚫ Charging Time
⚫ The capacitor will store energy depending on the
polarity of the input signal.

τ = RC (Time constant)
⚫ Discharging Time
⚫ A capacitor will fully discharge in five time constants.
(5τ)

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

CLAMPING CIRCUITS (CLAMPERS)

⚫ Parameters related to a capacitor :

⚫ Charging and Discharging of a Capacitor

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

CLAMPING CIRCUITS (CLAMPERS)
⚫ Steps in Analyzing Clampers:
⚫ Start the analysis by considering the part of the
input signal that will forward bias the diode.
⚫ During the period that the diode is in the ON
state, assume that the capacitor will charge up
instantaneously to a voltage level determined
by the network.
⚫ Assume that during the period when the diode
is in the OFF state the capacitor will hold on to
its established voltage level.
Seigfred V. Prado, ECE
CLAMPING CIRCUITS (CLAMPERS)
⚫ Steps in Analyzing Clampers:
⚫ Throughout the analysis, maintain a continual
awareness of the location and reference polarity
for the output voltage to ensure that the proper
levels are obtained.
⚫ Keep in mind the general rule that the total
swing of the output must match the swing of
the input signal.

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

CLAMPING CIRCUITS (CLAMPERS)

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

CLAMPING CIRCUITS (CLAMPERS)
⚫ Using First Approximation:

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

CLAMPING CIRCUITS (CLAMPERS)
⚫ Using Second Approximation:

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

CLAMPING CIRCUITS (CLAMPERS)

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

CLAMPING CIRCUITS (CLAMPERS)
⚫ Using First Approximation:

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

CLAMPING CIRCUITS (CLAMPERS)
⚫ Using Second Approximation:

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

CLAMPING CIRCUITS (CLAMPERS)

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

CLAMPING CIRCUITS (CLAMPERS)
⚫ Using First Approximation:

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

CLAMPING CIRCUITS (CLAMPERS)
⚫ Using Second Approximation:

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

CLAMPING CIRCUITS (CLAMPERS)

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

CLAMPING CIRCUITS (CLAMPERS)
⚫ Using First Approximation:

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

CLAMPING CIRCUITS (CLAMPERS)
⚫ Using Second Approximation:

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

CLAMPING CIRCUITS (CLAMPERS)

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

CLAMPING CIRCUITS (CLAMPERS)
⚫ Using First Approximation:

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

CLAMPING CIRCUITS (CLAMPERS)
⚫ Using Second Approximation:

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

CLAMPING CIRCUITS (CLAMPERS)

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

CLAMPING CIRCUITS (CLAMPERS)
⚫ Using First Approximation:

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

CLAMPING CIRCUITS (CLAMPERS)
⚫ Using Second Approximation:

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

VOLTAGE MULTIPLIERS
⚫ Voltage multipliers use clamping action to
increase peak rectified voltages without the
necessity of increasing the transformer’s
voltage rating.
⚫ They are used in high-voltage, low-current
applications such as cathode-ray tube (CRTs)
and particle accelerators.

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

VOLTAGE DOUBLER
⚫ A voltage doubler is a voltage multiplier
with a multiplication factor of two.
⚫ HALF-WAVE VOLTAGE DOUBLER

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

VOLTAGE DOUBLER
⚫ FULL-WAVE VOLTAGE DOUBLER

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

VOLTAGE TRIPLER
⚫ The addition of another diode-capacitor
section to the half-wave voltage doubler
creates a voltage tripler.

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE

VOLTAGE QUADRUPLER
⚫ The addition of another diode-capacitor
section to the voltage tripler creates a
voltage quadrupler.

Seigfred V. Prado, ECE